California Hearing Aid Dispenser License Requirements

To get a California hearing aid dispenser license, you must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, apply to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board through one of three pathways, and pass both a written and a practical examination. The California hearing aid dispenser license requirements apply to anyone who tests hearing and fits or sells prescription hearing aids in the state; the board, which sits under the Department of Consumer Affairs, issues the credential and sets the exam, fee, and continuing education rules.¹

One boundary worth clearing up before you start: the license covers prescription devices only. Over-the-counter hearing aids, available since the FDA finalized its rule in 2022, can be sold without a licensed professional involved.² If your work involves fitting prescription aids to an individual’s hearing loss, you need the license, and practicing without one violates the Business and Professions Code.³

Baseline Eligibility

Every applicant, regardless of pathway, has to be 18 or older and hold a high school diploma, GED, or higher education diploma. You’ll submit a copy of the diploma and a government-issued ID with your application.⁴ There is no college degree requirement at the state level.

Choose One Of Three Pathways

The board recognizes three routes to a permanent license. All three end with the same two exams; what differs is whether you can work during the process and what credentials you bring in.¹

Exam Only, No Temporary License

Apply, pass the written exam, pass the practical, get your permanent license. You cannot work as a hearing aid dispenser at any point during the process because there is no temporary license attached to this route. It generally fits people who already have relevant clinical training or education and only need the California credential.¹

Trainee Under Supervision

Most newcomers take this route. You receive a temporary trainee license that lets you work under the direct supervision of a licensed dispenser while you prepare for the exams. The trainee license runs six months and can be renewed twice, for a maximum of 18 months.¹

Your supervisor has to hold a California hearing aid dispenser license and must have been actively licensed for at least three years. They can supervise only one trainee at a time unless the board grants a waiver, and they must be physically present in the same work setting for at least 20 percent of the hours you spend providing services.⁵

Mark one date on your calendar: you must take the written exam within the first 10 months of your trainee license being issued. The 18-month clock keeps running regardless of whether you’ve scheduled your exams.¹

Already Licensed In Another State

If you hold an active hearing aid dispensing license from another state and have held it for at least two years, you can apply for a 12-month temporary California license that lets you work immediately. It is not renewable. You must pass both the California written and practical exams during those 12 months. Fail either one and you have to surrender the temporary license; the only way back in is to start over as a trainee.⁶

The Two Exams

Every pathway ends with the same two tests, and you have to pass the written before you can sit for the practical.⁴

The written exam covers audiology fundamentals, hearing aid technology, and California laws governing the profession. It costs $225, is delivered electronically on a continuous basis, and runs at roughly 20 testing locations in California and several other states.⁷

The practical exam tests real work: hearing testing, device selection, and fitting. It costs $500 and is administered two to four times per year in Sacramento.⁷ Because it runs on such a limited schedule, build your timeline around it, especially if you hold a trainee or out-of-state temporary license with a hard expiration date.

Application Package And Fees

Your application goes to the board by mail and must arrive complete. A missing piece delays everything. You need:⁴

Form HAD 200, completed and signed.
A single check or money order for $300 payable to SLPAHADB, covering the $75 application fee and the $225 written exam fee.
A copy of your high school diploma, GED, or college diploma.
A copy of your driver’s license, passport, or state ID showing you are at least 18.
Fingerprints. California residents use Live Scan and submit a copy of the completed form. Out-of-state applicants send two FD-258 fingerprint cards plus a $49 processing fee for the DOJ and FBI background checks, which can be bundled with the application fees into a single $349 check.

The board will not issue a license of any kind, including a temporary one, until the DOJ and FBI clearances come back, so submit fingerprints as early as you can. After you pass both exams, a separate $280 initial license fee gets you the permanent license.⁷

Keeping The License Active

The license renews annually for $280, postmarked on or before the expiration date, and each renewal cycle requires at least 12 hours of board-approved continuing education.⁸

The 12 hours are not interchangeable. No more than four hours can come from indirect patient care courses or courses broadly related to the practice, such as general health topics, cultural and linguistic diversity, or medical conditions that affect hearing. The remaining eight hours must cover direct patient care skills.⁹

If you can’t finish your CE by the expiration date, you can put the license on inactive status by submitting the renewal form and fee; you cannot practice while inactive, and reactivation requires proof of the completed CE hours.¹⁰ Letting the license simply expire is different: you must stop practicing immediately, and continuing to work is treated as unlicensed practice under Business and Professions Code Section 2538.48. A license expired for two or more renewal cycles requires completion of the full CE requirement for the most recent cycle before the board will restore it.⁸

1
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Qualifications For Licensure Hearing Aid Dispensers
2
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. OTC Hearing Aids: What You Should Know
3
California Legislative Information. California Business and Professions Code 2538.50
4
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Application Checklist for Hearing Aid Dispensers
5
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations 16 CCR 1399.119 – Direct Supervision
6
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Licensed in Another State Application Packet
7
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Fee Schedule
8
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations 16 CCR 1399.140 – Continuing Education Required
9
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Hearing Aid Dispensers Continuing Education Requirements
10
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Applicants/Registrant Frequently Asked Questions (For Hearing Aid Dispensers)